According to the will of the responsible ministers of education in the federal states, the around eleven million schoolchildren in Germany should have as normal a school year as possible despite all the crises. During their deliberations at the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) in Berlin on Friday, the ministers pledged that there should be no more school closures, either because of a possible gas shortage or because of Corona. They also want to work to ensure that the schools are adequately heated in winter despite the energy crisis.
The continuing increase in the number of students due to immigration – not only from Ukrainian refugees – is seen as a growing challenge given the existing shortage of teachers. Schools are increasingly reaching their limits here, said KMK President and Schleswig-Holstein Education Minister Karin Prien.
“Schools will definitely remain open”
The CDU politician made a clear statement on Friday: “Schools will definitely remain open this fall and winter, even during the energy crisis.” You owe that to the students as a society after two and a half years of the pandemic. Schools, like daycare centers, clinics, private households and other areas, are among the legally protected customers who, in the event of a gas shortage, are given priority to continue being supplied with gas or heated.
Wherever possible, schools should make a contribution to saving energy. “However, this expressly does not apply to lowering the temperature as in other areas. Children must not be allowed to freeze in schools,” added Prien. Hamburg’s school senator Ties Rabe (SPD) said that there would be a lot of pressure to ensure that school authorities, municipalities, the federal government and the states worked together to ensure that students did not freeze in class, but could learn well.
“Living With the Virus”
In the past school year, there had already been no large-scale school closures due to Corona, but there were many absences from teachers and students due to illness, quarantine and isolation regulations. Referring to the latest study results, which had shown increasing weaknesses in spelling, reading and math among primary school children, Rabe said that one had to ensure “that the schools are never closed again”. The safety measures in the case of Corona should no longer include closures and exchange classes.
Prien emphasized that, as in all other areas of life, the motto “living with the virus” now applies. She referred to a high level of immunity in the population due to vaccinations and past infections, possible protective measures such as vaccination and ventilation and a “tool box” for “all eventualities” with which the countries could react “adapted to the situation”. For example, mask requirements in schools are possible – but only from class five.
Increasing student numbers due to refugees
More than 193,000 Ukrainian children and young people have now enrolled in schools in Germany. Rabe estimates that the number could rise by several tens of thousands. He assumes that many who are in Germany have not yet registered. The Ukrainian children and young people make up about half of the refugees at the schools, said KMK President Prien. Pupils from other parts of the world are increasingly coming to Germany.
Rabe warned with regard to “the changed student body, which we undoubtedly have,” that education can no longer continue as before. In Hamburg, 30 percent of the students now live in families where no German is spoken at home. In his opinion, the teaching must be further developed in order to include all students. It needs pedagogical impulses. According to Rabe, he has high hopes for a report by scientists for the KMK, which is expected in December and in which the topic will be addressed.
